Illegal additional floors in the Miguel Hidalgo borough represent a “$360 million windfall,” Morena lawmaker Cecilia Vadillo denounced before the Permanent Commission of the local Congress, whose members called on the Comptroller’s Office to investigate the PAN officials who authorized the construction of additional levels.
After this outlet reported that the number of irregular floors in the borough governed by Mauricio Tabe (PAN) had increased by 183 percent over the past year, the lawmaker argued that the PAN official’s denial of the information released by the Environmental and Territorial Planning Prosecutor’s Office (PAOT) demonstrated complicity.
At Least 54 Apartments
She estimated that approximately 54 apartments may have been built on those additional levels, with an average price of 6.7 million pesos each, for a total of 360 million pesos. She added that their water consumption could reach one million liters per month, which she described as “alarming.”
“Someone is making a huge profit by building irregular floors above what the law allows, with permission from who knows whom. Let’s not forget that verification falls under the responsibility of the borough government.
“What is happening with these illegal apartments must be verified, at the expense of the neighbors, at the expense of their well-being, at the expense of access to water, because we often say that in Miguel Hidalgo, the borough mayor is not far from selling even the air in the borough.”
Following a debate with PAN lawmakers—who acknowledged the PAOT’s information but also pointed to other Morena-governed boroughs where illegal floors are also being built—the full chamber approved by majority vote a motion addressed to the General Comptroller’s Office, calling for stronger inspection, verification, and sanctioning measures against the construction of irregular floors and additional levels in the Miguel Hidalgo borough.
They also requested a detailed report on the status of the properties identified as having excess construction.
Significant Legislative Backlog
Meanwhile, lawmaker Jesús Sesma delivered his final message as president of the board of directors, reporting that the local Congress has an 80 percent legislative backlog, since only 409 of the 1,963 proposals submitted have been approved.
At a press conference, he said that many of the proposals “are not particularly significant”; nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the backlog could be reduced during the next legislative session.
Source: jornada
